Papers collected by Professor Terence John Bew Spencer (1915-1978), Professor of English and Director of the Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham, 1961-1978. Includes reviews, copies of his articles and speeches. The papers are supplemented by obituaries and documents relating to Professor Spencer's Memorial Service, 23 May 1978.

Arrangement

Reviews, articles and speeches are filed by year and arranged chronologically

Access Conditions

Access to all registered researchers.

Copyright

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Finding Aids

Printed list, 'The Library of T.J.B. Spencer', detailing the collection of reviews, articles, speeches, books, offprints and journals from Spencer's Library is held at the Shakespeare Institute Library [ref. q Z921.B456];Publications from the Library of T.J.B. Spencer are referenced and catalogued individually on the University of Birmingham Online Library Catalogue (see printed list above for details of individual titles).

Access Status

Open

Administrative History

Born 21 May 1915. Educated at Lower School of John Lyon, Harrow; University of London (King's College and University College); British School at Rome. Assistant, English Department, and Tutor to Students for Diploma in Humanities, King's College, London, 1938-1940; British Council Lecturer, British Institute, Rome, and Institute of English Studies, Athens, 1939-1941. Served War, 1941-1946 (despatches): Cyprus Regt. and Royal Pioneer Corps; commissioned 1941; Maj. 1943; acting Lt.-Col. 1945. Assistant Lecturer and Lecturer in English 1946-1955, and Adviser to Postgraduate Students, 1949-1953, University College, London; Professor of English, Queen's University, Belfast, 1955-1958. Hon. Sec., The Shakespeare Association, 1950-; Professor of English Language and Literature, University of Birmingham, 1958-; Director of the Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham, 1961-1978. Married Katherine Margaret Walpole, 1948. Died 3 March 1978. Publications: 'Istorias tes agglikes logotechnias' (Athens), 1941; 'Fair Greece, Sad Relic: Literary Philhellenism from Shakespeare to Byron', 1954; 'The Modern Usage of English', 1955; ed. (with James Sutherland) 'On Modern Literature by W. P. Ker', 1955; 'From Gibbon to Darwin', 1959; 'The Tyranny of Shakespeare', 1959; 'Byron and the Greek Tradition', 1960; contributions to other books and to journals. [Compiled from 'Who's Who' 1961]

Acquisition

Gift by Mrs Katharine Spencer in 1984

Related Material

Books from the Library of T.J.B. Spencer, are held at the Shakespeare Institute Library, University of Birmingham